Of Wolves and Men
by Zeronin
Summary: A mysterious omen appears, and the tenuous peace between humanity and demonkind is suddenly put to the test. Shin and his friends must uncover his family's darkest secrets in order to prevent an artifact of untold power from falling into the hands of a renegade group of devils, who are apparently after the same thing as well... (a Kenja no Mago / 賢者の孫 fanfic)
1. Prologue

**PROLOGUE**

The sounds of the battle still raging below seem distant, like an old memory.

I lie face-up in an ever-growing pool of my own blood, the shattered hafts of two war-lances buried in my gut and left shoulder. My shredded right arm is useless, the jagged bits of bone poking through the ash-pale skin. I've long since given up trying to stand, having found out that I can barely muster the strength to move my limbs. I can still sense the faint presence of one of several fallen beasts nearby which gave their lives to protect me, its consciousness also ebbing away as crows and other carrion-eaters pick at its flesh.

_So this is what dying feels like._ I remember the callow recklessness of my younger self, unflappably confident and unafraid of death. The irony doesn't escape me. I let out a ragged chuckle, which sends sharp needles of pain coursing anew through my broken body as fresh rivulets of blood trickle from my mouth.

There's a deep, creeping chill in my bones that never really goes away, despite my many layers of furs and battered armor. How I wish that I had the comforting warmth of a sleeping draught to numb this pain. Already my vision is fading, and my mind starts the slow and arduous process of letting go of the cares of the mortal realm. It wants to fly far, far away from this wretched place. It yearns for home.

Not that cold, drafty stone fortress which had been my seat for nearly two decades, where my wife and three young children anxiously wait for the husband and father whom they shall never see again... but rather, the warm and cozy little cave from my earliest childhood memory, the place where I first opened my eyes and took in the sights, scents and sounds of this cruel world.

Someone's warm hand - a woman's - engulfs my own and softly caresses my fingers. I can feel hot tears falling onto my face. With my last remaining strength, I feebly turn my head towards my companion as she plants chaste kisses on my brow and cheeks.

Though my eyes could no longer see clearly, my heart does. I suddenly realize who had come to accompany me in my last moments as I embark on my final journey. Even now, I recognize her scent as she holds my bleeding head close to her breast. My lips curve into a small smile as I hear her long-forgotten voice sing the familiar plaintive strains of our favorite lullaby.

_Mother..._

I close my eyes and let my last thoughts be of home¹.

* * *

¹An _Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim_ reference. These were Ralof of Riverwood's immortal words during the intro sequence: "A Nord's last thoughts should be of home."

Song inspirations for this chapter: Gregorio Allegri - _"Miserere Mei, Deus"_ performed by Tenebrae Choir, Giovanni Battista Pergolesi - _"Stabat Mater in F Minor: Stabat Mater Dolorosa"_ performed by Cambridge Ensemble

**A/N:** **This is the Prologue chapter for my first fanfic, so I'll get some of the world-building out of the way for now. Chapter I will be coming soon. **EDITED****


	2. Chapter I: A History Lesson

**Chapter I: A History Lesson**

_THE HOUSE OF WOLFORD_

_Titles held: __Könige/Kings (formerly), __gefürsteter Grafen/Princely Counts, Markgrafen/Margraves, Waldgrafen/Waldgraves and Raugrafen/Raugraves_

_The noble House of Wolford is an old one, dating back to many hundreds of years prior to the founding of the First Bluesphere Empire and its breakaway successor state the Earlshide Kingdom; various oral and written histories have claimed that the first Lords of Wolford were descended from Wilhard Adolphus I, a fierce warlord-king whose mountainous forest strongholds spanned the northern and northeastern territorial borders of what is now known as Earlshide._

_King Wilhard Adolphus I's origins are often the subject of much heated debate - some say that he was a love-child born of a union between a young forest hermit and a two-headed demonic she-wolf who had assumed the form of a beautiful maiden, while others allege that he was an orphan raised from infancy by a pack of wolves. In either case, the "wolf" motif appears to be very much prevalent, as evidenced by the blazonry of the Wolford family arms ("Sable, a two-headed wolf rampant regardant argent, armed and crowned or, a chief dancetty argent__¹__") and motto ("Ferox usque ad finem__²__"). Wilhard Adolphus I was also known as a fearsome battlemage who excelled at both magecraft and swordfighting - most historical depictions from this period show him wearing his trademark white wolfcloak and brandishing the legendary flaming greatsword "Altfang", which he used to behead Alberic the Stone-Faced, the infamous bandit chief of the Northern Mountain Clans._

_The kingdom of Wilhard Adolphus I was short-lived, however, as his descendants who had taken the family name of "Wolford" were eventually defeated in battle by the invading First Bluesphere Empire in 16 A.E. As a result, the once-vast landholdings of the Wolfords were annexed and parceled out to the victorious noble families of the fledgling First Empire until only the eponymous Great Forest of Wolford remained, and the family's status was reduced from "royalty" to "nobility" as a mediatized princely house with the imperial comital title of "waldgrave__³__" and the distinct style of "Illustrious Highness". This concession was obviously not well-received._

_Successive revolts against the First Bluesphere Empire led by members of this family (the most notable of which was waldgrave Otto von Wolford, "The Red Wolf") led to a series of events in 648 A.E. collectively known as the "Wolf's Purge", which ended in the overnight annihilation of the main branch of the House of Wolford and of various allied noble families, as well as the resultant public furor that culminated in the eventual dissolution of the First Empire in the following year. Dispossessed and disgraced by the start of the reformed Second Empire in 649 A.E., the surviving cadet branches of the House of Wolford and their bannermen retreated to their ancient fiefs in the Great Forest and the mountains, which were by then part of the new separatist kingdom established by their ally, the former imperial count palatine__⁴__ Maximilian von Earlshide. In their final act of defiance against the Empire, the Wolfords eschewed their imperial court titles and styles, even to the extent of dropping the nobiliary particle "von" from their family name, and gradually faded into obscurity thereafter._

\- an excerpt from "**A History of the Noble Families of the Bluesphere Empire and its Neighboring Countries**", by Duchess Anneliese von Schtradius

* * *

**Wolford Manor, Kingdom of Earlshide **

**(Shin's POV)**

"I seriously can't believe that you barely know anything about your own family's history."

His Royal Highness Prince August von Earlshide, aka "Gus", the eldest son of King Diseum and crown prince of the Earlshide Kingdom - and in all material respects, my adoptive "cousin" and closest friend - sighs dramatically from his comfortable reading position on the chaise lounge in my house's sizable library, where he, Sicily and I had been spending all our time in after our last mission.

"Well, it's not like I really had a reason to care anyway... you know I'm not the bookish type, and I can't just randomly ask anyone here either, especially since my grandparents tend to avoid talking about anything from the past, like it's the plague or something. I'd rather just work on my own magic or spar with Uncle Michel." (Shin)

"So you say," Gus shakes his head and points in an exasperated manner towards the high bookshelves which extend all the way up to the library's vaulted ceiling on the second floor, "Few nobles are lucky enough to be blessed with a library as large as this one. The common folk - or at least, those who fortunately know how to read and write - can barely afford a handful of these books, and yet you claim that you haven't even bothered to read any of them ever since you came here... frankly, I just find it rather disturbing..." (Gus)

Sicily has been quietly reading the thick tome on her lap throughout this entire exchange - I take note of the title: "A History of the Noble Families of the Bluesphere Empire and its Neighboring Countries", by the duchess Anneliese von Schtradius. _That name seems so familiar somehow.._.

"Hmm... Shin, it also says here that your ancestor was a renowned battlemage... it's usually very rare for a mage to attain mastery of both magical and martial disciplines. He's kind of like you, in a way... I guess that kind of genius runs in the family..." Sicily smiles at me warmly before adding softly, "I really hope our children will be like that as well..."

My fiancée blushes at her own words and demurely hides her face behind her book. _So cute._ Her shy and soft-spoken demeanor is so incogruous with her classically beautiful looks and well-developed body that it never fails to fascinate me every single time.

A year ago, I never would've thought that I'd end up with someone like Sicily von Claude. She's quite the package: drop-dead gorgeous, smart, graceful and kind, with an aura of quiet nobility. I wasn't even surprised at all when I found out (thanks to Gus) that she was the third daughter of viscount Cecil von Claude. However, Sicily just isn't your typical pampered rich _himedere _girl. Contrary to what most people expect from someone of her noble status, she's not the type to shy away from getting her hands dirty - she's been fighting at my side since the beginning, along with Gus and the other members of our special magus task-force "The Ultimates", due to her being adept at most types of magic, with healing and support magic being her main specialties. Her reputation's even grown to the point that people have been awarding her all kinds of epithets like "Saint" and "Holy Maiden of Earlshide and Suides"... though she keeps telling me that no name or title in the world could ever hold a candle to the pleasure of finally being called "Mrs. Wolford".

I find myself grinning like an idiot.

Gus waves a hand in front of my face to distract me from my thoughts.

"Hey. Since we're on the topic of family histories and all, do you guys want to know the real origin of how the name 'Earlshide' came to be?" (Gus)

I shoot Gus a questioning look as Sicily gets up and serves us some of her prized chimaera-feather tea, which the maids had brought in earlier. I do remember Uncle Dis regaling me with his family legend once, when I was only ten years old. In fact, it seems that everyone in Earlshide knows it by heart: the legend of Claudius von Earlshide, "The Dragonslayer".

"Eh? Wasn't it because your ancestor literally wore dragonhide armor made from that thing that he killed? That's the reason why Earlshide has a golden dragon on its coat of arms, right?" (Shin)

Gus shakes his head, and his normally relaxed expression changes to a more serious one.

"No, that's not it. I doubt that there were even any dragons to begin with; at the very least, they all probably died out even before the First Empire was established... the real story is actually quite different from the version which you've all been familiar with since childhood. Would you like to hear it?" (Gus)

I take a sip and nod slowly as he continues,

"In the early days of the First Empire, before the Earlshide Kingdom even existed, there lived an earl whose family line and title was descended from ancient Kurtish noble stock that had resettled in imperial lands. His name was Ludwig von Drachen, a champion jouster beyond compare, and he was known far and wide as 'The Golden Knight'.

"Like many imperial nobles, young Ludwig was also proud, cruel, brash and arrogant - always eager to flaunt his wealth and status in front of everyone. He was a bully, the type who thought that he could get away with anything whenever he wanted to, and he often wandered about town in the company of rich, bored young lads like himself. Women flocked to him because of his dashing good looks, and unfortunately he also had his way with many of them, willingly or no. Very few were foolish enough to reject his lecherous advances, and those who did tended to end up dead in some ditch the following day..." (Gus)

I sneak a glance at Sicily, who currently has a sad expression on her face. _She's most likely thinking about her erstwhile admirer/stalker, Kurt._ Though Kurt had been turned into a Demonoid, I had felt no pleasure in putting him down. Nor could I ever forget - to this day, I can still see his tormented face in my dreams, twisted in pain and hate.

_Yes, Kurt was a flawed devil, but that doesn't mean that normal human beings don't have a similar capacity for evil as well... all it takes is just one little push._

"... One day, earl Ludwig and his loutish companions chanced upon a beautiful girl named Margarethe Kirsch. Margarethe was the only daughter of a prosperous cloth merchant, and she had just been engaged to the love of her life - a childhood friend of hers named Claudius Lemann. Margarethe's looks and humble charms were such that Ludwig was utterly smitten, and thus made a proposition to her which she firmly turned down. Unable to bear the humiliation, the wicked earl and his friends waylaid her outside her home, where they took turns in deflowering her in front of her helpless family before slitting her throat..." (Gus)

"That was so... brutal. And why do you sound so formal, all of a sudden?" (Shin)

"Shush. Let me finish the story, will you?" (Gus)

"... The tragic news soon reached the ears of poor Claudius, who was utterly devastated upon learning of the fate of his beloved. Rage consumed his entire being. Despite being a low-ranking imperial court mage and the son of a mere knight, he recklessly marched up to earl Ludwig's entourage and demanded for a duel to the death, in accordance with the rules of imperial blood-feuds. Ludwig, drunk on the success of his recent conquest, proudly accepted the challenge and immediately moved to dispatch the foolhardy young mage with a clean stroke of his sword.

"However, the earl's hopes for a swift victory were dashed when the grief-stricken Claudius lost control of himself and let loose a wild barrage of elemental lightning magic which caught the earl and his cohorts unawares, despite the multiple Magic Resistance enchantments on their expensive armor. The power surge was devastating enough to bypass their defenses. They could only watch helplessly in horror as Claudius stood over their immobilized bodies and quickly dispatched them one after another, with the exception of Ludwig who was slowly flayed alive by the mage before succumbing to shock and extreme blood loss. " (Gus)

And I thought earl Ludwig was the brutal one. _Wow, Claudius sounds so ridiculously OP..._

"With Ludwig's death, Claudius claimed the earldom and its coat of arms as his own by invoking his right as the blood-feud's victor, and then proceeded to lay waste to the remaining members of House Drachen over the next few days - sparing only Ludwig's younger sister Liesl, whom he took as his wife. The 'Lemann' family name was changed to 'Earlshide' soon afterwards, and a new House was born, with the earldom eventually evolving into a county palatine over the next few decades..." (Gus)

"Wait a sec, Gus... that still doesn't totally explain everything though... why did he even choose the name 'Earlshide' in the first place?" (Shin)

Gus snaps out of "Storyteller Mode" and breaks into a sly grin.

"Ah, yes. That's because Claudius also started the habit of wearing Ludwig's flayed skin as a mantle over his battle armor. Needless to say, it made quite an impression on everyone... and the name has kind of stuck ever since. Hence, 'Earl's Hide'. Freaky, isn't it?" (Gus)

"O-Oh my..." (Sicily)

_What the hell! That's seriously screwed up!_

If that's what really happened... then...

"... I can see why most people would prefer the 'Rated-G' version instead..." (Shin)

My brain is already overloading with weird and disturbing images - but apparently, Gus isn't done yet.

"I'm not quite sure what you mean by 'Rated-G', but there's really something else that you should know..." (Gus)

Gulp. _Something else? What could that possibly be?_

"Well... I don't know if Claude's already mentioned this to you, but both of the Houses of Earlshide and Claude have Claudius as a common ancestor..." (Gus)

Sicily's cheeks are flushed with red as she meets my gaze. "Yes, it's true. Sebastien von Claude, the first of our line, was said to be Claudius's illegitimate son with a novice nun from Ys. The viscountship as well as the permission to use the family name 'Claude' was his father's way of making amends. Though, the fact that we are distantly related to the Earlshide Royal Family isn't really a big deal at all... many noble families here in Earlshide maintain such blood ties with one another due to centuries of intermarriage." (Sicily)

"That's right! So there you have it Shin, now you know something about your bride-to-be's family history too!" Gus chuckles and gives me a friendly slap on the back.

_Bastard!_ I let out a ragged sigh of relief. _For a moment there, I thought that he was going to reveal something ominous about Sicily's family!_

"Well, I'm pretty sure that I'll be learning a lot more about my _wife_ and her family in the days to come..." I wink at Sicily and draw her closer to me.

With how our relationship has progressed so far, the fact that Sicily's been steadily getting bolder these days hasn't escaped my attention - she doesn't even flinch or freeze up anymore whenever I hold her... _I swear, that saucy little smile that she's giving me right now can definitely melt through a whole vat of butter._

"And I, with you and yours as well." (Sicily)

The growing amount of sexual tension in the room is unbelievable. My heart is beating so loudly inside my chest that it seems that the entire room is resounding with its echoes. I can feel my body acting on impulse as Sicily instinctively shuts her eyes and brings her face closer.

She smells so good, and her lips are just inches away from mine...

"O-O-Oi! Just do _that_ in your own room, you two! I'm still here, you know?!" (Gus)

And just like that, our little moment was gone.

"Gee, thanks a lot, Aug." My voice drips with sarcasm as I sigh and roll my eyes. Sicily just giggles.

"'_Aug_?' I thought my nickname was supposed to be '_Gus_?' You really should make up your mind alre-" (Gus)

Our lighthearted banter is suddenly interrupted by someone rapidly knocking on the door. After a moment's pause, Steve - our family's majordomo - bursts into the room, his eyes resting first on Gus, and then on me and Sicily.

"I beg your pardon for the intrusion, Your Highness, but I have an urgent message for Master Shin and Her Ladyship from one of the woodsmen in the Great Forest..." (Steve)

For some odd reason, I suddenly feel a shiver running down my spine.

* * *

¹Literally; "A white two-headed wolf with golden crowns and claws, rearing up and looking backwards on a black field. At the top of the armorial escutcheon is a white horizontal bar with a jagged edge (to simulate the tops of pine trees)".

²"Fierce until the end".

³**Waldgrave:** an earl or count having jurisdiction over a royal forest, or vast areas of wilderness. This was a title used by the Holy Roman Empire. A **raugrave** is similar to a waldgrave, however the term specifically refers to one ruling a barren, mountainous terrain instead.

⁴**Count Palatine: **an earl or count having jurisdiction over a Palatinate, in his official capacity as a permanent representative of the emperor.

Song inspirations for this chapter: Vincenzo Ruffo - _"La Gamba in Basso, e Soprano"_ performed by Hespèrion XXI & Jordi Savall, Nicolas Vallet - _"Gaillarde du comte Essex, pour lute"_ performed by Paul O'Dette, Johannes Hieronymus Kapsberger - _"Toccata VI Lute"_ performed by Paul O'Dette

**A/N:** **Hello, Zeronin here. As you all might've noticed already, this story is based off of the LN and set right after Shin and friends storm the former imperial capital and face off with the demons. In my own personal headcanon, at least (since I'm a bit impatient and couldn't be bothered to wait several months for the next chapter to be translated into English LOL), Shin and August managed to force a stalemate, allowing the human nations and Schtrom's demons to agree to a somewhat fragile armistice. Of course, even though this was actually the best possible outcome given the circumstances (and barring the annihilation of one or both sides of the conflict), this decision obviously did not sit well with a number of people... and as our young protagonists will eventually discover, playing with politics and war isn't as easy as it seems when your foes are faceless and are merely biding their time while hiding in the shadows, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike.**

**I've also taken the liberty of fleshing out and developing certain parts of the lore, which I hope you all don't mind... it seems that a lot of aspects regarding the world's design and tech somewhat mirrors the 1500s-1600s period of Renaissance-era Europe (minus the ridiculous and uncomfortable fashion choices like frilled collars, whalebone corsets, busks and farthingales), so I just "tweaked" them accordingly. Enjoy!**

**Comments and criticisms are most definitely welcome.**


	3. Chapter II: A Prelude Of Worse Things To

**Chapter II: A Prelude Of Worse Things To Come**

**Großwald/The Great Forest****, Kingdom of Earlshide **

**(Shin's POV)**

"What on earth are these?" (Gus)

The three of us are staring at something unbelievable.

More specifically, it's a single set of prints belonging to some massive predatory animal. _A bear, perhaps? _No, despite the fact that these prints are literally the size of dinner plates, they don't have the requisite five toes or large pad areas... instead, there are four symmetrical toes with exposed claws on top, and two visible lobes at the bottom of each pad.

Sicily leans in to inspect the animal tracks and unwittingly reveals a healthy amount of décolletage due to her rather precarious posture. I can literally feel blood trickling out of my nose. Meanwhile, the Head Forester and the woodsmen who had brought this entire matter to our attention are trying their very best to not gawk at her.

"These don't seem to be similar to the bear, tiger or lion prints that we've seen in our travels so far..." (Sicily)

Unsurprisingly, Sicily appears to have reached the same conclusion as I have.

"It's a wolf, then?" (Shin)

"That's what we've surmised as well, m'lord. Although these tracks aren't what we'd usually expect from specimens of _Canis lupus_¹ or _Canis dirus_²... based from the size of these prints alone and from their residual demonic energy, we're thinking that these are from _Canis i. infernalis_³ or even _Canis i. titanicus_⁴... in other words, it's likely to be a _varg_⁵, sire." (Head Forester)

"A demonized wolf, you mean? Maybe even bigger than a _calamity-class_, from the looks of these... but how can one as big as that suddenly turn up here without our knowledge?" (Gus)

"It's exactly as Your Highness says... in any case, we've yet to receive a confirmed sighting of this beast... so we're also not discounting the possibility of it being already part of the local fauna as opposed to being a stray from the Empire, if one pays heed to the villagers' legends over here. The folk hereabouts are a mite superstitious, y'see... there's talk of it possibly being the same fell creature who is said to inhabit the haunted fens deep in the forest, where only a few men have entered and lived to tell the tale."

Everyone's faces are instantly drained of color.

"... this is just great..." (Gus)

Luckily, I was never the "superstitious" type. _Ha! All those science books and paranormal phenomena-debunking articles that I've read in the previous world made sure of that._

"Cheer up, Gus... you heard what he said, maybe it's only a stupid old legend after all, right? Haha..." (Shin)

My attempt at reassurance is met with an awkward silence, and I look around to see that everyone is staring at me with weird expressions on their faces.

"Um... it's _your_ family's legend, m'lord." (Head Forester)

* * *

**Wolford Manor, Kingdom of Earlshide **

**(Merlin's POV)**

As soon as Shin and the others return from their impromptu afternoon trip using Gate, they immediately head upstairs to freshen up with barely a greeting. _Something must've happened._ I can clearly sense the waves of anxiety and worry emanating from them, though I reckon that it's better to not push them into explaining everything for now.

I exchange glances with Melinda. It seems that we have no other option but to wait.

After a couple of hours, Sicily comes down to the grand salon freshly bathed and dressed up for dinner, with her attendants Celesta and Fulmina in tow. Despite her modest appearance, she looks every inch the daughter of a viscount.

"Ah, there you are. Marika's just told us that the food will be ready in about ten minutes. Will Shin be joining us as well?" (Merlin)

"Yes, grandfather. He's currently in his room, but he'll be down shortly." (Sicily)

"Splendid." Lord only knows how difficult it's always been for Melinda and I, just to get that lazy boy of ours to take his meals on time. _How the devil does this girl even manage to do it?_

Melinda looks up from the diagrams that she's currently studying and eyes Sicily's choice of outfit with an approving gaze, before setting her magnifying glass down with well-practiced fastidiousness.

"Sicily, while we're waiting... can you please play some music for us, my dear?" (Melinda)

Our new prospective granddaughter-in-law obediently curtsies and sits down at the harpsichord, flanked by her two lady's maids. Her delicate fingers fly across the keys like sparrows in flight as she does an especially moving medley rendition of Ramondo da Filichaia's _"Sonata in C Major, K.16"_ and Felix Bötticher's _"Letzte von den Gefallenen_⁶_"_. Melinda seems lost in thought as she watches the girl play her piece.

"Our Shin's quite lucky, isn't he? To have someone like her as a wife... indeed, they seem very much besotted with each other. He literally adores her to pieces. Quite unlike someone I know..." (Melinda)

"Come off it, woman. I doted on you plenty enough when we were younger," I managed to grunt before adding, "And as for being 'besotted'... if my memory serves me right, you were the one who refused to let me out of our bed for almost three days straight during our honeymoon..." _Ah, those were the days, indeed._

"M-Merlin! Not in front of Sicily, you old rascal!" (Melinda)

I duck quickly as a small jam jar whizzes past my head, thankful for the fact that my reflexes are still pretty sharp, even at my age.

Truth be told, I've always enjoyed getting a rise out of Melinda, if only so that I could see how she'd react each time.

Sicily herself does not even seem to give any indication that she has overheard our conversation (though there are two spots of color high on her cheeks) as she continues hitting note after note perfectly. Her face is a serene mask of concentration.

Melinda sighs and massages the veins on her forehead. "Honestly, with such a hopeless wastrel of a grandfather hanging around, it's really no wonder at all that Shin lacks common sense..."

"Gu..." (Merlin)

"Aw, don't be so unfair, grandma! I'm always trying my best, you know?" (Shin)

We all crane our necks to see Shin bounding down the stairs, with his friend Prince August following closely behind him. It appears that their spooked expressions from this afternoon have already disappeared. Shin soon plops himself down next to me on the settee.

"Indeed you have, my boy." I say with a hint of pride, remembering how Shin had already accomplished so much at his young age. I reach out to ruffle his hair, but decide on clapping him fondly on the shoulder instead. _He's grown up so fast._ Soon enough, he'll be starting a family of his own.

"... His Majesty Diseum the First, by the Grace of God, king of Earlshide and of the Western Territories, grand duke of Chernau, landgrave⁷ of Großer Marstein and of Kaßen, hereditary prince-elector⁸ of Thrön and hereditary count palatine of Drachen within the Imperial Dominion!"

A footman stationed near the entrance hall loudly announces the arrival of our dear family friend and regular houseguest, who is then led by the majordomo through the maze of antechambers in the _piano nobile_⁹ to our small family gathering in the grand salon. His two men-at-arms trail him from a few feet away.

"Good evening, father. My, you look particularly troubled today..." (Gus)

"Hello, Uncle Dis!" (Shin)

"... " (Dis)

Diseum often visits us to unburden himself by grumbling about the affairs of state. Apparently (like his son), our household is the only place where he could truly be himself and casually forget about such things as royal protocol.

It looks like today is no exception.

Marika discreetly glides into the room from the dining hall after all the perfunctory greetings are made, and announces that our dinner is ready - just as Sicily finishes up her performance to a round of applause.

* * *

**(Shin's POV)**

"No, no, no no no! A thousand times NO!" (Merlin)

Grandpa splutters while helping himself to herb tarts and spoonfuls of _civet de Chevreuil_¹⁰ stew, scattering bits of venison across his plate (much to Grandma's annoyance).

"Oh, don't be such a child, Merlin... it's not like you've ceased being part of the nobility just because your family stopped using their imperial titles ages ago. Besides, we also have to think of how this would benefit Shin and Sicily's future children..." (Melinda)

"... like I've said before, Merlin, the purpose here is to _not_ tie you and your family down to the Earlshide kingdom, but to merely _restore _the margraviate of Wolford in the Mark to its former glory. The heralds at the Royal College of Arms are already updating the Letters Patent at this very moment, so there's actually very little that you can do to stop it. The letters specifically indicate that the hereditary title of 'margrave¹¹' shall be borne by _all_ legitimate members of the Wolford family at the same time, in the old imperial style, while the secondary titles of 'waldgrave' and 'raugrave' are to be held in abeyance for Shin's future heirs. Ahh, and before I forget, please give my compliments to Corell as well. He's really outdone himself today... this _espadon grillé à la sauce Cortain_¹² is absolutely divine! I must have this recipe for the Royal Kitchens!" (Dis)

"Pah! Trying to yank my chain with your sophistry again, eh, Diseum? Don't you dare change the subject." (Merlin)

Uncle Dis's bodyguard Siegfried discreetly whispers to his colleague Christina, "Let's just try to keep a low profile by pretending we're not here..."

"It's nothing of the sort, old boy," Uncle Dis says with a sigh, "This was truly the least that I could do, after everything that you and your family have done for this kingdom and for the rest of the world. Besides, I didn't have much of a choice anyway, since this form of compensation was what the citizens _wanted_... apparently the Cross of the First Order of Merit with Swords and the Badge of the Order of the Golden Dragon weren't even enough for them. Hehe."

"All right, I give up." Grandpa's sigh can be heard across the room.

I marvel at the direction that this dinner conversation's taking... _at any rate, at least it's distracting them from asking us where we went today. Just thinking about the whole thing gives me the creeps._

Sicily is still struggling to comprehend the situation due to the rapid escalation of events, while Gus just sniggers opposite me while picking at his meal.

"I-I'm going to be a countess?" (Sicily)

"No. You're going to be a _margravine_, my dear, not just a mere countess... which, in this case would mean being the wife of someone who holds power in an area that's nearly equivalent to an autonomous principality... or at least that's what Diseum has been trying to tell us for the past hour. I suppose that you've already heard that Merlin's ancestors used to be the sovereign royal family here before the imperials or the Earlshides came along?" (Melinda)

Sicily nods mutely.

"Well, it looks like Shin's the only one who didn't know after all..." (Gus)

I sigh in embarrassment._ Gus, I swear, I'm gonna kill you one of these days._

However, there are more than a few details pertinent to the ongoing conversation which I would need some clarification on. Starting with...

"Um, what's so great about being a margrave...? I just want to be plain old 'me', without these fancy complicated titles and all..." (Shin)

Someone groans loudly, and I notice a strange, meaningful look that passes silently between Grandma and Grandpa. It's like they're having this whole other unspoken little conversation with their eyes that no one else is privy to.

Uncle Dis tries to break the awkward impasse between them, however Grandpa's next few words betray his indignation. "Hmph. Why is it always _my_ fault wherever Shin is concerned, Melinda? I happen to know that look of yours very well. You're blaming everything on me for not teaching him the importance of common sense, social etiquette and history... which is, frankly, unfair. I'm just trying to do what's best for him, that's all. He doesn't even need to know all of these ridiculous things... as far as I'm concerned, he already knows enough to survive in the forest all by himself, which would have enabled him to live a decent and quiet life, if only everything had turned out a little bit differently. I really can't see why you want me to turn him into someone like _Aria_..."

Upon mentioning that name, something seems to shatter inside Grandma, who abruptly slams her palms onto the table.

"Don't you dare start _that_ again with me, Merlin! Just... don't..." (Melinda)

Uncle Dis clears his throat.

"The state of this world is changing faster than you or Shin can keep up with, Merlin. It's time to let go of the past... you have to accept the fact that living in the forest like a recluse and hiding from the harsh realities of life is no longer an option for you in these troubling times. The people are in desperate need of their heroes, and having your family at the forefront once more will give them hope for a brighter future. In the meantime, I'll be assigning Sieg, Michel and Gus to help fill in the crucial gaps in Shin's social education posthaste." (Dis)

Grandma shakes her head, gets up unsteadily, and flees the room in tears, with Isolde - her lady's maid - chasing after her and muttering apologies to everyone. The entire room is stunned except for Uncle Dis, who just quietly chews his food with his eyes closed in deep thought.

_What the heck just happened? And more importantly, WHO is Aria?_

* * *

¹_Canis lupus _is the species name for the common wolf.

²_Canis dirus _is the species name for the direwolf.

³_Canis infernalis infernalis _is the species name for the demonized common wolf, aka a _varg_.

⁴_Canis infernalis titanicus _is the species name for an abnormally large variation of the demonized common wolf or direwolf, often referred to as _calamity-class_.

⁵_Varg _refers to any demonized wolf specimen, including but not limited to _Canis i. infernalis _and _Canis i. titanicus_. Based on the Norse word _Vargr_.

⁶Ramondo da Filichaia's _"Sonata in C Major, K.16"_ and Felix Bötticher's _"Letzte von den Gefallenen" _\- I just made this shit up.

⁷**Landgrave:** a rank in the same class as a duke and above the rank of an earl or count. This rank has imperial immediacy, or feudal duty owed directly to the emperor. A landgrave's jurisdiction stretched over a sometimes quite considerable territory, which was not subservient to an intermediate power, such as a duke, a bishop or count palatine. Thus, by definition, a landgrave exercised sovereign rights over his own domain.

⁸**Prince-Elector:** a rank signifying a prince of the empire who had a right to participate in the election of the emperor (in this case, the leader of _Blauekugel_ or Bluesphere) as part of the electoral college.

⁹**Piano nobile:** (Italian: "noble floor"), in architecture, the main floor of a Renaissance building.

¹⁰_Civet de Chevreuil _is a richly-flavored wild-game stew which contains venison and chunks of boar meat in Chevreuil sauce.

¹¹**Margrave: **a rank in the same class as a duke and above the rank of an earl or count. A margrave or "marcher lord" originally functioned as the military governor of a march, a medieval border province. Because the territorial integrity of the borders of the realm of a king or emperor was essential to national security, the vassal (whether a count or other lord) whose lands were on the march of the kingdom or empire was likely to be appointed a margrave and given greater responsibility for securing the border. The Margraviate of Wolford, being a former sovereign territory under the same ruling family, possesses a status equivalent to an independent principality within the kingdom's borders.

¹²_Espadon grillé à la sauce Cortain _is a dish I made up, which consists of grilled swordfish served in Kurtish sauce (mutton broth, cloves, leeks, eggs, lemon juice, garlic and cinnamon).

Song inspirations for this chapter: Claude Gervaise - _"Branle de Champagne"_ performed by Ulsamer Collegium Ensemble, Johann Hermann Schein - _"Banchetto Musicale - Suite No. 3: IV. Allemande-Tripla"_ performed by The Renaissance Music Players

**A/N: Similar to the manga, this story's Wolford Manor is more of a "Patrician villa" with Palladian-style Renaissance architecture, instead of the anime adaptation's "Konosuba" Victorian-era mansion... the house has a raised central building accessible from the front with a ramp and two symmetrical arcaded service wings attached to each side of the main building, terminating into three-storey dovecoted pavilions. The architecture combines real-world elements inspired by _Villa Valmarana Scagnolari Zen_ (main house), _Villa Emo_ (raised entrance ramp, symmetrical wings, pavilions, manicured gardens) and _Villa Barbaro_ (chapel, nymphaeum). **

**Sorry for the long wait guys ... next chapter is still TBA for now.**


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